bfiddoes



' May 28, 1929. H. BEDDOES 1,715,185

DQS ING TANK SYSTEM Filek April 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 28, 1929. H. 'BEDDOES DOSING'TANK SYSTEM Filed April 9, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 77%2655 %Zm WW .7

Patented Ma 28, 1929.

UNiT-E Tara's PA'EENT @FFEQE.

PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

Bosnia-TANK SYSTEM.

. ,Application filed April 9, 1925. Serial No. 21,806.

Theidosing tank systems to which my invention relates are commonly employed in connection with filter beds for the treatment;

of sewage. In distributing the liquid to such filter beds, it is desirable that it be applied thereto intermittently and in large volume of flow during the period of distribution. For this purpose, it has been common to emaccumulates relatively slowly and which are discharged successively or in rotation, the out-flow being in large volume and for a relatively short period of time. discharged automatically by means of siphons located therein and connected to-a common main or pipe leading to the sprinklers of the Heretofore, in order to prevent the liquid from the siphon of the dischargingtank running back up the siphon of a tank in which the liquid-is at a lower, level and discharging into the latter check valves have been used in the branch connections between the respec tive sip'hons and themain; These valves are not entirely satisfactory for the reasons that they tend to become clogged and even; when free interfere to a greater orless extent with the flow of liquid. My invention provides a 0. construction in which these valvesare dispensed with, a-sufficient hydrostatic pressure being at all times maintained in the respective tanks to prevent the back-flow of liquid.

In the accompanying drawings forming a.

part ofthiss'pecification, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention. It 'willbe understood, however, that the specific disclosure is. for thepurpose of exemplification only and that-the scope of the invention is defined-in the following claims in which I have endeavored to distinguish: it from the prior art without, however, further restricting it. v y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view 4 of the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 a vertical section thereof on the line 22 of Fig.1 and Figs. 3 and 4 details, partly in elevation and partly invertical sectio 1 5 I have chosen a two-tanksystem in connection with which to describemy invention, but

rangement of the tanks is immaterial.

The tanks are arranged side by side and separated by the diaphragm or wall 5. The particular ar- All of the tanks are preferably identical in construction and equipment and in the present illustration, they are so shown and therefore except where the inter-action of the tanks is {referred to, but one will be described. Inthe ploy two or more tanks in which the liquid system illustrated, the tanks receive their supply of liquid from a common supply chamber 6. At the entering end, each tank is formed with a well 8 which communicates with the supply chamber by an inverted U- shaped portv or air lock 7. Each tank is also provided with a siphon, the hell or shorter leg of which is shown at 9 and the longer leg at 10. From the lower end of each longer or outlet leg of the siphon a branch connection 11 leads to a common main or pipe 12 by which the liquid is conveyed to a filter bed Or other point of disposal. The main 12 extends upwardly at 12 to forma' liquid seal for the branches 11.

In the construction shown, the two tanks. aredischarged alternately and means is provided in each tank for starting the flow.

through the siphon when the-liquid'reaches a predetermined level. Such 'means may be and is shown as the known W-trap' compris ing a U-pip e, the shorter leg 13 of which communicates withthe. interior of the siphon bell near its top at 14 and the longer leg 15 of which opens at a point above the maximum level of the liquid in the tank. The trap also comprises a starting bell 16 connected to the bend of the U-p-ipe by a pipe 17 which intermediate the startingbell and its connection to the U-pipe extends above'the maximum liquid level in the tank. The starting bell is located at the proper level to force air into 9 thetrap when the liquid in the tank reaches the predetermined maximum level and break the seal of the trap thus permitting the escape offair from the siphon and starting the flow of the latter.

For a purpose which will presently appear the main 12 is provided with ariser 18 connecting to a compression dome or chamber 19. A vent pipe 20 connects'the compression chamber with the tanks or either of them and extends downwardly within the dome at 20 a sufficient distance to form an annular air chamber 40 of sufiicient volume or capacity to supply air for the operations to benow' described-' Apipe 22 extends upwardly from the top of this air chamber and is branched at 23, one of the branches 2% leading to one of the air looks or ports 7 at and the other branch leading to the other port. Then either tank discharges the liquid rising in the compression don1e,'forces the air theretrom'through pipe 22 and the proper branch 24 thereof to the air lock of the discharging tank thereby displacing'the liquid downwardly in the said lock or port and closing or lockingit against the flower liquid; In order to provide against the discharge of air into the airlock of the other tank, which is filling at this time, each connection for sup- )1 hi airfto the res ective air locks is Jroe obviously't-her trap therein, which as above stated, controls the supply of air to the port or lock of the other tank is closed by the presence of'liquid therein, so that all of the air from the compression chamber is diverted to the airlock of the discharging tank,

thus cutting off the supplyof liquid thereto;

In order to break the air lock at the proper time, each port is provided with an air vent pipe 28 which latterterminates in a trap 29 located in the same dosing tank whose supply of liquid is controlled by said port. In

order to break the water seal of the respec-' tive traps 29at'the proper time,'a bell 30 dips into the compres'sion chamber'lfl and is con-v nected to the respective traps 29 by a common pipe 31 and branch pipes 32. When either tank begins to discharge, the liquid rises in pipe 18 and"chamber;19, as stated above, and the aircompressed in the bell 30 is forced "into the. trap 29 of. the otherta'nk, which at the time is at-low level and breaks the seal of the corresponding vent pipe thus permitting the air to exhaust from the air locked port thereofand the liquid to flow-to said I tank.

Obviously," were no provision made to'the contrary when one of the pair of tanks discharges, more or less of the liquid therefrom would flow tothe other tank of the pair,

. the liquid in the latter being, at the time, at

a lower level. Heretofore, asabove'stat'ed, valves have been installed in the respective connections to prevent this, but they are sub ject to the objections pointed out above. In-

' stead of installing valves in the siphon connections, I so design the tanks and their equ1pment as to maintain n each tank a sutficient hydrostatic head afterits discharge to prevent the back fiow of liquid thereto. With this in view each'tank is formed with a relatively deep wella" about the siphon of relatively small cross section and the hell or short leg, 9 of the s1pho'n is of unusual so designedjand' connected to: the bell as to break the siphon and leave in the well a sufiicient-"depth of liquid to prevent flow tronr the other tank. The vent is provided with a check valve 35 to prevent escape. of air from the bell. Theoretically, theequipnient of the two tanks being the" same, in order prevent liquid discharging from one tank to another,

the lower ends of the bells must be sealed to a depth equalto the distance between the upper end of the long leg of the res a'ective siphons and the maximum liquid level. Prac tically, due to frictional lossesand thelike, the depth ofseal need'not be quite so great.

Assuming one tank hasfjust been discharged and the other tank is'full and the 7 liquid standing to the top of thelongerlegs of the siphons 1n the respect ve tanks, when the full tank begins to discharge, the net length and dipsintosaid we r; A vent 34 is force tending to cause overflow" into the empty tank is obviously the hydrostatic pressure due to the height of liquid abovethe top of the longer leg of thesiphon in the full tank. There is a cushion of air inthe bell of the 'siphon'of the empty tank upon which this pressure is exertedjthe' pressurebeing resisted by the pressure of the column of liquid remaining in the empty tank above the lower edge of the short leggor bell of the siphon. By so ,designing the apparatus that the latter column or liquid is never less in height than the column of liquid above the long leg of the siphon in the discharging tank, the'transfer of liquid from'the latter to the empty tank is avoided By locating the siphon of the respective tanks inlrelativelydeep wells of small cross 7.

section, asuflicie'ntlyz deep seal for'the pure} pose may be maintained without substantiallydiminishing the quantity discharged from the tanks'at 1. In a multiple tank liquid distributing system, a plurality of dosing tanks each hav ing a discharge siphon, the siphons being in; open connection to a common out-flow pipe,-

each operation. 2

liquid in the tank in which said siphon is located reaches a predetermined maximum level, means for stopping the siphonic discharge in each tank before the level of the liquid therein drops to a distance above the lower edge of the shorter leg of the-siphon less than the distance between the upper edge of the longer leg of the siphon and the maximum liquid level in the other tanks of the system, and means for successively filling said-v tanks. 1

2; In a multiple tank liquiddistributing system and in cornbinationwith a plurality of tanks thereof, discharge siphons for. the

means for starting each siphon when the.

. respective tanks in open connection to a common out-flow pipe, means for venting each siphon to start the How when the liquld 1n the tank reaches a predetermined maximum level,

means for venting the siphon to stop the sisystem, a plurality of tanks, discharge siphons for the respective tanks in open connection to a common'outflow pipe, means tor starting the flow of liquid through the siphons when the liquid reaches a predetermined level in the tank, a vent for stopping the siphonic flow of liquid from the tank when the column of liquid therein above the lower edge of the shorter leg of the siphon is suiticient to oppose the flow of liquid into saidtank from another tank when the liquid in the latter is at the maximum predetermined level, means in said vent to prevent outflow. therethrough, and means for successively filling liquid into said tank from a discharging tank, and means for successively filling said tanks.

5. In a multiple tank liquid distributing system, a plurality of dosing tanks each hav ing a discharge siphon, the siphons being connected to a common out-flow pipe, means for starting each siphon when the liquid in the tank in which the siphon is located reaches a predetermined maximum level, and means for stopping the siphon discharge in each C tank consisting of a vent pipe connected to the siphon near the top thereof and open to the tank near the lower end of the shorter leg of the siphon and a valve in said vent opening toward the siphon. 1 V

6. Ina multiple tank liquid distributing system, a plurality of dosing tanks each having a discharge siphon, a common outflow pipe with which said siphons are in open connection, means for starting each siphon when the liquidin the tank in which said siphon is located reaches a predetermined, maximum level, means for stopping the siphonic discharge in each tank before the level of the liquid therein drops to a distance above the lower edge of the shorter leg of the siphon less than the distance between the upper edge of the longer leg of the siphon and the maximum liquid level in the other tanks of the system, a passage for supplying each said tank with liquid, an air lock for closing ofi said passage, means for supplyin air to said air lockwhenthe tank with which it is associated is discharging, and means controlled by the dischargeof another tank for releasing air from said air lock.

' HUBERT BEDDOES.

CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,715,185. Granted May 28, 1929, to

HUBERT BEDDOES.

It is hereby" certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as foilows: Page 3, line 9, after the word "the" second occurrence, insert the word "other", and sameline, for the Word "tank" read "tanks"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read withthese corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of Judy, A. D. 1929.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

